What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If it's a working day, you probably jump out of bed in a panic, with a thousand thoughts buzzing in your head about the pile of tasks you have to do that day. Or you find yourself under the shower, and you have no idea how you got there! Sound familiar?
It turns out that just a few simple movements can make the day much more relaxed and you feel more ready for daily tasks, rather than running headlong and full of stress through the morning.
Jack Wiener, certified and licensed psychoanalyst, founder of the Creative Movement School in New York, and author of the book "Into the Feeling Body" thinks that the most important thing when waking up in the morning is to gently give your body the opportunity to be aware of the beginning of the day, and to try to stay composed through the whole 24 hours.
"When you sleep, your body completely withdraws into its own world," says Weiner, explaining that when you sleep, the sensitivity of your muscles becomes minimal. In other words, you are not aware of your body either mentally or physically.
This state is only reserved for sleeping, but not for waking hours. If you want to be aware of your body, you must not be stressed, your muscles suddenly tighten during sudden awakening, and automatically from your circulation to breathing is compromised throughout the day and affects your health daily.
If you can turn to your body and relax your muscles, then you really cope better with stress, and you are emotionally "more alive" - claims Weiner. "It is so simple, yet so wise".
So what should you do when you wake up? How to start the day? So do these three simple little things before you get out of bed:
Getting out of bed
Gently stretch and extend your arms to your feet for about 15-30 seconds. This, says Weiner, is a good way to activate your musculature and bring awareness to your legs, which is literally becoming aware. Then gather your fingers into a fist and spread them for about 15 seconds.
"These are really tiny little things that will help you activate your body and ease the shock of waking up," says Weiner. The things listed last for one minute!
And now, when you get out of bed…
Slowly place your feet on the floor one at a time. Stand up and stand for a moment, two fully aware of the floor beneath you and the feeling under your feet (also takes less than a minute!)
Finally…
Bend slightly and touch under your arms.
"This will keep your body's attention on the floor," says Weiner, and relax your neck and shoulders. The more grounded you feel in the morning, the more grounded you will be throughout the day.
Good morning!
Bonus video:
